Victory for Swansea postal workers against management victimisation

Swansea Royal Mail workers and CWU members voted for strike action in defence of Martin Henwood, photo CWU (Click to enlarge)

Alec Thraves, Swansea Socialist Party

Swansea postal workers have won a big victory forcing Royal Mail management to reinstate postman Martin Henwood, after the threat of strike action at Swansea Delivery Office by Communication Workers Union (CWU) members.

Martin 'Rodders' Henwood has worked for Royal Mail for 32 years and has no previous disciplinary record.

His sacking has caused uproar among the workforce who have witnessed management's increasingly bullying approach over the past few years.

They voted by a massive 89.9% to strike against his dismissal and the company agreed to withdraw his dismissal shortly after.

CWU national officer Ray Ellis, assistant secretary, said: "It's great news and wouldn't have happened without the magnificent support and solidarity from all the members in Swansea and across the South West Wales Amal Branch - as well as the growing support for him from other parts of the country.

"We're meeting management on Monday (23 July) to work out the details of exactly when he will return to work - but it will be as soon as possible and everyone's really pleased that a solution has been reached."

Rodders has worked for Royal Mail for 32 years with no previous disciplinary record, and was sacked in May after bosses accused him of not following a procedure on door-to-door (unaddressed) mail, despite him following the protocol of the office.

His sacking is typical of the bullying approach of management at the newly-privatised postal service.

CWU members at Ferndale in the Rhondda have also won a victory against management bullying when a manager was redeployed following a walk out in protest at his bullying.

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 17 July 2018 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.